Desperate
by Gryphons Kiss
Summary: ** LONG-AWAITED PART 3 NOW UP!**Elena's story, starting with her life in Midgar, and ending with the years after her torturous duties as a Turk
1. Part 1

Desperate - part 1

Desperate

_"Why would you leave heaven just to go to hell?"_

The streets of Midgar can be a dark and scary place. The permanent darkness gave the city a doomed feel, as if one day all of it would go to hell in a hand basket. Nevertheless, thousands of families settled there- or, rather, were forced into the poverty of the slums. And yet nobody hears of the wealthy heirs that lived on the upper plate. One such family was that of the Burch faction. Alexander Burch and his young wife Lucinda had both lived in the upper crust of Midgar their entire lives. After bearing two girls, Lucinda and Alexander divorced and she left the children's father to care for them.   
The youngest of the two was Elena. She was three and a half years younger than her older sister, Penelope, or Penny for short. When Elena was young, the adults said that they could tell she was going to continue the trend of wealth in the family; perhaps be a lawyer or doctor or businesswoman. But Elena just wanted to be happy.   
Childhood was advanced for the two girls. They went to an affluent private institution, and had all of the advantages needed to be raised "properly".   
Elena didn't gain her sense of independence until she was 17. It came about so suddenly that it surprised the people around her.   
"Penny," she mumbled on one particular day, "what do you think of moving off of the plate?"   
Penny laughed and curled a lock of her sister's hair around her own finger. "Why would you wanna do that? It's all slums and dirty business. Only people who are desperate for a start go there."   
"But think of all the excitement down there," Elena argued. "It's so colorful. And think of all the things down there that we don't have here-"   
"What, filth?"   
"At least it's not as stuffy!" she burst. Penny looked surprised. Her normally quiet sister was being unusually boisterous lately.   
"Sorry," Elena muttered meekly.   
"Listen, Nell," Penny addressed, using the nickname she had so fondly created. "One day you and I will move out of here and do something exciting. I want to work for Shin'ra, and I want you to come with me."   
It was Elena's turn to be surprised. "Shin'ra? The Mako company?"   
"You know it's more than that," Penny scolded. "I want to make something of myself there. I want to break into a new industry. I hear that there are positions available in some departments. I'd take anything just to get in."   
"I don't want to work for Shin'ra."   
"Nobody's making you."   
"I want to be happy."   
"You've said that countless times lately. What is with you, Nell?"   
"Nothing."   
"Stop acting like a child and tell me."   
"I'm not a child! I'm almost an adult like you."   
"Alright." 

For a little while Penny never mentioned anything about moving to anyone. But one night, when it was quite starry out, the earth seemed to shatter. Penny had mentioned her plans to her father, and an argument erupted.   
"I'd like to go to work for Shin'ra, but I need to move off of the plate to start! How can I get any connections up here? It's all old money, nobody's involved in something as new age as Mako."   
"This old money got you where you are today!" their father yelled back.   
Elena sat at the edge of the stairs and listened. Sometimes her father could be so blind. She rested her head against the cold wooden spindles underneath the banister as the yelling warred on.   
"I am old enough to lead my own life, and I want to make my own decisions! It isn't right to keep me locked up in this house all the time!"   
"You're not wise enough to make your own decisions."   
"That's because you won't let me be! You don't have any more control over me, and I'm going. You always told me to persue my dreams. Well this is my dream!"   
"That is a poor argument, Penelope. I will not support such a foolish and whimsical decision. Understand that if you leave now you are disowned."   
Penny said nothing more. But with a straight face, she turned on her heel and closed the glass doors behind her.   
A look of defeat and frustration crossed the aging man's face. Elena stood to comfort her father.   
"She'll be back in a few minutes, when she realizes her mistake," he told his youngest.   
Elena doubted it, but dared not say so. "When will she come back?"   
"Tomorrow." 

The next day came and went. It melted into a breathless two days, then three, and eventually it blurred into a week. Weeks were months, as it usually is when time is a painful blur, and finally months turned into four years. Four years ago on Elena's 21st birthday, Penny had walked out on her sister and father and never was seen again.   
It was indeed a black birthday for Elena. She woke up early morning, fully aware at the time that had passed. She knew that her father was aware of it too. So she decided to leave him alone for the day.   
Around noon, when Alexander hadn't come downstairs at all, Elena decided to fix him a nice lunch and get him out of bed. She crept upstairs and opened the blinds in his room, letting thin streams of sunlight drape across the room.   
Alexander's motionless form was buried under a mass of covers on the bed. Elena eyed the figure for a moment, then lifted the covers from her father's head. The air and sound caught in her throat. He was wan and not breathing. His pulse was nonexistent. His face was set in a hard, angered expression. Death had claimed the life of a man whose riches obviously could not save him from this untimely fate. 

It was an early death of course. Elena's thoughts ran around in her mind, but could only settle on one thing.   
News quickly spread within hours of the coroner's arrival. "Friends" came to the house to shower Elena with pity. With nowhere to go, they offered to take the "poor naïve girl" in. She mentally scoffed at them. She wasn't poor and she wasn't naïve. One woman, after a trail of false remorse, asked, "Will you speak your father's eulogy?"   
Elena stopped dead. Her heart froze and her skin iced over.   
"No." 

There was only one option left- to seek out her lost sister and continue the lives they had once planned.   
With nothing but a wad of cash and an old picture, Elena determined her own future.   
The fuel dripped down the sides of the house and a trail of it made a circle around the outer walls. With a quick flick of the match, Elena set ablaze the baneful house and it's empty memories. The orange flames licked around the roof and sides, making ash of the architectural wonder.   
And into the night ran the fugitive girl, now a woman, to lead the life she knew was not there. 

Upon reaching the bottom sectors, she saw just what Penny meant. Even for early morning- around 3:00- there were many older people out. The ramshackle houses, if you could even call them that, lined the streets and alleys, as if whoever built them was desperate for a foundation. Across the roads, streetwalkers and drunks lingered under the streetlights. They cast an eerie orange glow around the area; in a sense it was beautiful to her.   
Men catcalled with slurred speech. She chose to ignore it until finally it became so intense that she couldn't take it. Her stomach turned as she quickened her pace. One man stepped in front of her and she skidded to a halt.   
"Oh, sorry," he said without looking up. Elena stood and tried to rise to his height. He was slightly taller than she was.   
"Yes, excuse me," she muttered back.   
He grabbed her arm. With an alarming cry and a flash of impulse, she slapped his left cheek.   
"Ah, sorry!" he yelped. He examined her. She shifted under his prying eyes. He shrugged. She sighed. Then he spoke. "Ever think of working at the Honeybee Inn? It's in Wall Market, Sector 6. You look like one of the girls who works there-well, used to. Later." He walked off in the opposite direction.   
Elena looked back. Such a non-base person in such a "dirty" place, as it was so often mentioned to her.   
She looked around once more. She needed to start searching somewhere. She also needed sleep and food. Which first?   
Sleep and food would have to come first. Her head spun as she dizzily stumbled down the alleyways toward the general direction of Sector 6 and Wall Market. 

Dawn was barely breaking, if you could even tell under the Midgar plate. According to a small clock in a random spot on the streets, it was 6:24, exactly the minute that the sun's rays broke across the horizon. A beautiful splash of pale blue lit the sky, but to everyone in the lower sectors, gray and black seemed to envelop everyone and everything.   
Elena's dizzying condition only worsened as she finally collapsed in a playground in where she could only hope was in or around Sector 6. Whatever cold metal underneath her was soothing and yet kept her mind alert. Nobody was around as the streets emptied of all life. Should she get up and go on, or stay and take whatever came along?   
Yet another decision she was forced into. But this one didn't have a definite answer.   
Coming out of a huge metal gate just across from the lot was a carriage with a man holding onto the back. He seemed around Elena's age, with nothing but some tattered, dirty clothes to cover his body. He jumped off beside the small metal gate that ran around the perimeter of the park and stood for a few moments- however long that might've been. Elena could barely get a good look at him, but he was relatively handsome from what she could see. His hair was dark, contrasting to the light features he otherwise possessed. His skin was pale and covered with a fine layer of dirt. But his eyes were what really captivated the sheltered girl. They were an icy, pale blue, only describable as incredibly beautiful. They reminded her of the sky during winter months, just the palest shade of blue possible, yet so full of life…   
He caught her staring as she quickly turned her gaze away. She could feel the blood rush into her cheeks. She didn't know what had come over her, but she liked it. He noticed it too, and went over to where she lay on the slide.   
"Are you lost?" he asked.   
She was taken aback by the question. She sat up straight and turned over. Then looked into those captivating eyes and completely lost hope.   
"Well, are ya?"   
"No," she said meekly.   
"Well you don't look like you belong in a wretched place like this."   
She looked down, realizing what he meant. She had only been in the area a few hours, and her clothing and makeup still portrayed her rich and sheltered lifestyle. "I suppose you're right. I don't live around here. In fact, I don't think I live anywhere."   
"Well obviously you live on the upper plate."   
"Not anymore."   
He too was taken aback. "Well why would you leave heaven just to go to hell?"   
She shook her head. "It's not heaven. I'm here looking for somebody. My sister."   
He took a few steps back and stopped leaning over her. "Who's your sister? Obviously somebody important if she lives here."   
"Her name is Penelope Burch. Have you heard of her?" There was a glimmer of hope in her voice.   
He thought a moment, then shook his head with a blank expression. "Nope, sorry. I guess she's not as infamous as I thought. So who might you be?"   
"My name's Elena." She looked at him to signify that she needed his name.   
"The name's Alexander Buyer here." He grabbed her hand and gave it a firm shake. She wobbled unexpectedly and fell over. "Pleased to meetcha."   
Alexander…her father's name…   
She shook her head and looked up as he started to walk away.   
"C'mon, then."   
"Where are we going?"   
"To my place. Figure you could use a warm meal and a nice place to sleep 'til you figure out what you're gonna do."   
She pulled herself to her feet and tripped after his form as Alexander strolled away, back through the way he had come, to Sector 7. 

Alexander's "house" wasn't much, just a two room shack with enough light to at least see where you were. The first room was a kitchen and dining room, although really it was just a small stove, icebox, and chair. The other room was tiny, just a small bedroom with a twin bed and another chair. Outside there was a bucket and water tap. Other than that, the place was bare.   
"Sorry it isn't much," he sympathized. "Definitely not what you're used to."   
"It's perfect." She loved the rugged, utilitarian unit. It gave her a sense of reality.   
"Well, as long as you're comfortable." Alexander walked over to the stove and lit it, putting a small makeshift kettle on to boil water. "Some tea and a sandwich will do you some good."   
She was puzzled as to how he came across what was a feast in the slums. "I thought people in poverty were starving," she blurted.   
He turned around, seemingly pale. "I'm not exactly poor. More like I just don't have a lot. But the little I do have suits me just fine."   
She smiled towards the ground and turned away, a little embarrassed by her naïve honesty. She just wasn't used to…this. Not the poor conditions, but the presence of a stranger, and her trusting feeling.   
He definitely noticed her expression and lifted her chin. She looked into those icy blue eyes and found herself standing completely stiff and still.   
"Tomorrow," he murmured, "We're gonna go look for a job for you. I already got one workin' for the Don. Alright?"   
She nodded and he stepped back.   
"To be honest with you, there's only one choice you have. And that's to work at the Honeybee Inn." He grimaced and looked away.   
"What's that?" she cautiously asked.   
Alexander did a bit of a doubletake. "Aw c'mon, everyone knows what the Honeybee Inn is, even the upper-plate rich guys!"   
She shook her head "no" and felt a bit foolish that she was so out of it.   
He looked away for a moment and thought, running a hand through his hair. After a moment he looked back at her and opened his mouth. "It's a bordello that caters to the high-class in Midgar. Even executives of Shin'ra go there for a break, so if you're lucky you might land a job with them. That is, if they like you."   
"Shin'ra? Really?" Elena loved the idea already.   
"Yeah," he continued. "I know a girl who worked there for about two years before landing a job as a secretary there. Her name was Crystal- a real doll, smart too. I don't hear from her much anymore, but I know she's livin' it up above us."   
"I've always dreamed of working for Shin'ra…"   
"Well then there's your place to start. Tomorrow I'll take ya down there and you can interview, alright?"   
She sighed and nodded, her eyes already star-filled. Sure, it wasn't exactly the ideal way in, but she would do anything to work for the greatest company on the planet. 

When the next morning rolled around, Alexander wasted no time preparing her for her task.   
He rolled her out of bed and started undressing her. Elena let him slip her out of her clothes and into a red lace dress that was the most form-fitting thing that she had ever worn. He even went so far as to do her hair and makeup.   
"I'm capable of doing this myself," she muttered as he poked her repeatedly with eyeliner. "Ow…"   
"Sorry!…I gotta make you look just right for your interview, or you won't stand a chance. You're a very pretty girl, Elena, so every feature has to be enhanced.   
She shut her mouth until he was finished. "Done," he muttered.   
He handed her a small mirror and she looked into it. Through the thin layer of grime she could see that the cake of particles wasn't only on the mirror.   
"I look like a whore," she muttered. An uncomfortable shift caused Alexander to poke her once more.   
He said nothing about her comment, but his eyes hardened and he kept working.   
"Are you almost done?"   
After a few more moments, he sighed and put the makeup away. "Yes, I'm done. You look appropriate."   
"Let me see." She grabbed for the mirror, but it was pulled away.   
"Don't jinx it! You look fine, now let's go."   
He roughly grabbed her hand and pulled her out along the streets.   
The looks she got were so memorable; they never faded in her mind, even when she endured the years ahead. The women scowled at her in abhorrence, some men turned their heads away, others howled drunkenly. She didn't understand the effect that took place around her until they arrived at the Honeybee Inn.   
Outside of the massive neon entrance, Elena was instructed to stand there patiently and wait until Alexander came back out.   
While waiting, a pair of equally smutty women sauntered up to her. The taller, brown-haired one gave her a once-over and smiled.   
"You must be the new girl they're interviewing today," she observed.   
Elena nodded uncertainly. The girl's eyes were so gray and cold, as if they were looking through her. She felt almost transparent.   
The tall woman smiled once more. "My name is Crystal. I'm kind of the head around here."   
Elena saw no hand offered, so she just smiled back. "I'm Elena."   
"Not for long," the girl seemed to warn before the two entered the building, leaving Elena alone once more.   
The men standing at the base of the steps kept giving her these looks of lust, licking their lips and winking at her every five seconds.   
Alexander, now beside Elena for what would be the last time, motioned for her to go in.   
She took a step forward and, realizing he wasn't following, asked, "Aren't you coming?"   
She shook his head. "I'm outta here. I've got other callings. Take care, kid."   
"Alright…bye…"   
With that, the mysterious man left as quickly as he had appeared, and Elena faced the dull ache in her heart and what was going to be her life for an indefinite period of time.   
Crystal was sitting inside with a skinny man beside her.   
"Welcome, cupcake," She greeted with a puff of cigarette smoke.   
The man stood and placed his hands on Elena's hips, thighs, and about every other curve on her body. "She's got good measurements," he commented. With a few more grunts, he sat back down and introduced himself. "The name is Wiggly. I run this little joint for the Don."   
Elena nodded uncertainly once more. "Hello."   
"No need to be so uncomfortable, darlin'," Crystal drawled. "You're family now."   
"You've now got a job here," Wiggly informed. "Startin' today. From now on you sleep here, eat here, and breathe here. And you've also got a new alias; Elena just won't do."   
Elena was so confused that she fainted.   
"Oh dear!" Crystal jumped up and knelt next to her new friend. "Are you okay?"   
"Yes. But I'm a little confused…"   
"Alright, let me explain. Your new name around here will be Heady, because Elena just doesn't suit you," Wiggly informed.   
"Why do I have to change my name?"   
"It's for business reasons," Crystal elaborated. "More customers will come here for business if the girls have provocative names."   
"What business is this again?"   
It was apparent that Crystal was becoming a little annoyed. "It's clear that you really don't understand our business. I understand, you're young, you're innocent. So how about you watch me tonight and learn, okay?"   
"Alright," Elena agreed. After all, what could be so bad about that?   
Wiggly looked her over once more. "Hey, you kind of remind me of a girl who used to work here about three years ago…Oh well." He shrugged. "I'm off. See you tomorrow, girls."   
He stumbled off through the doors. Elena, now left with her superior, felt so cheerless that she wanted the nightmare to be over. She squeezed her eyes shut.   
"Relax hon," Crystal soothed. "Come on now, we've gotta get you changed." 

The night hours were growing longer and later. It was already 10:00 before the doors to the Inn even opened.   
"Where is everyone?" Elena asked Crystal.   
"They're coming very soon."   
Elena adjusted her tight bee costume. What a cute catch.   
A young, handsome, even rich-looking man sauntered through the doors of the Inn and winked at Crystal.   
With a smile and the wink returned, she whispered to Elena, "We have a customer, follow me."   
Elena nodded and followed Crystal and the man into a lavish bedroom, one of many.   
The man followed them in, holding Crystal's hand. He gave Elena a glance every now and then, studying her. He was fairly handsome, she supposed, with a medium build. He sat on the edge of the bed with Crystal sitting in his lap and began sucking at her neck.   
She moaned with fake pleasure. "By the way, Ryan, this is our newest Honeybee, Heady."   
He smiled and waved to her. "Will she be joining in?"   
"I'm afraid not tonight," Crystal answered. "Perhaps another time. Tonight she is merely observing our pleasurable business."   
With that the pair started. Elena sat across from them in a chair, studying Crystal's every move. Her eyes widened with every piece of clothing that was stripped off. Her heart beat a little faster with every motion of the hips. Elena couldn't tear her eyes away from the spectacle, although it was definitely something she had never seen before. After Crystal collapsed against her temporary lover, the two fell asleep, leaving Elena all alone with her head spinning and her once clean mind now tainted.   
By morning, the exhausted couple had fallen asleep in the bed, and Elena drifted off quietly in the uncomfortable chair after a long and equally laborious night.   
The man exited the Inn quietly into the cloudy morning, and Elena was sitting in the dressing room with Crystal.   
"That was…amazing," She said breathlessly.   
Crystal gave a small laugh and commented, "You don't know the half of it."   
"I've never seen anything like that before."   
"I figured as much. You're young and innocent. I've been working here for six years. When I started here I was just like you. But things changed so quickly. I rocketed up in self-confidence, and I appeared glamorous and rich."   
"And what happened?" Elena asked after hearing the story.   
"I lost the one thing that is most important in life. You will too, and you won't even realize it."   
"I don't want that to happen."   
"Get used to it, honey. You work here now."   
  



	2. Part 2

Desperate part 2 5 months isn't really a long time, but it seemed like sempiternity to Elena. Over that course of time, she was trained to become a bombshell at the Inn, pleasing the customers in any way you could think of. It wasn't exactly glamorous or exciting, but she learned to deal with it. Besides, the atmosphere and people made the blow a little softer. Yet, in the depths of her mind, Elena had realized – and rather quickly – just what Crystal meant when she said that you lost the one important thing you had – it was your pride.

Be that as it may, on one bitterly cold night, Elena sat with Crystal in the dressing room talking, seemingly about nothing imparticular, until Elena's memory snapped and she recalled what Alexander had told her about that girl he knew.

"Crystal, didn't you work for Shin'ra?" Elena blurted.

Crystal stopped and gave her a puzzled look. "What made you ask that?"

"I remember Alexander saying something about a girl he knew named Crystal who had worked at the Honeybee Inn, but she got lucky and landed a job at Shin'ra. And your name is Crystal, and you work here…"

Crystal sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I worked there for a really short time. But it was a dead-end job that didn't exactly get me where I wanted to go, so I came back here. Although I don't know why, because this place is Hell."

Elena felt a bit of remorse for her friend. "I'm sorry I brought it up. It just struck my mind."   
  
Crystal answered, "No, that's okay. Elena, listen to me." She leaned forward. "I want you to forget what he told you and how you got here. Alexander is a dangerous man."

"What do you mean?"

Crystal sighed and leaned back again, a tear forming in her eye. "Oh Elena… it's painful, you remind us all so much of her…"

Elena was starting to get frightened. "Who?"

"Penny."

She sat shell-shocked. "How do you know my sister?"

Crystal heaved another sigh as the tear slipped down her cheek. "She used to work here. Her dreams of working for Shin'ra started right here, much like yours. She was brought here by that man, being promised the world was in reach. But that's not the truth. The truth is, this place is nothing but a manhole. You've fallen in and gotten trapped. It takes a lot to pull yourself out. Penny knew that, but he didn't want her to reach what she had worked for…"

Elena's head was in acute pain as she grabbed at her hair. "I don't understand!" A dull, sharp noise struck painfully and continually through her ears.

"She was killed one night by a mysterious client. It was her last night here before she relocated to Shin'ra."

The noise and pain seemed to stop as quickly as it had begun. Elena's breath was short and shallow, making it all the more difficult for her to function. "She was killed?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Elena shook her head, trying more to clear it out than to stop her friend's mourning. At that moment, Elena made a decision; one that would ultimately effect the rest of her life by saying a few simple words. "I'm staying here."

Crystal seemed a little frustrated. "Why? You have everything to live for, such opportunity in your youth."

"That's not it. I need to stay here and complete what Penny was doing. I need to keep her memory alive. I mean, this place might not be exactly what either of us had envisioned, but she brought pride and grace to wherever she went, and that's what I'm going to do. I know I can make it, and her spirit is coming with me."

"That's brave of you, Elena. Very noble-"

"Get out here, ya lazy bitches!" Wiggly yelled to them. "We got customers coming!"

The two sighed and stood up simultaneously.

"Elena, please remember what I told you, though. About forgetting how you got here. It's for your own good."

" Alright," she complied. "But I need to find how to get out."   
  
Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor. Luckily, it paid a little trip to Elena that fated night. She was told that her client was especially important, and to give him anything he wanted. Oh well. She did that anyway, so what could possibly be different?

She answered the door to the Inn, and in front of her was an attractive, red-haired man with incredibly beautiful eyes. He was lean and tall, standing over her like an augury.

"Hey," he muttered to her. She melted.

He gave her a questioning look, then peered over Elena's head to where Crystal was standing.

Crystal seemed to get the picture and pulled Elena aside.

"Please tell me you know who your customer is tonight," she seemed to plead.

Elena was a bit more confused by Crystal's pleading words. She shook her head only so slightly before Crystal gave her and exasperated look and sigh and continued; her voice was low but decisive.

"Elena, this is very important. Your client is one of Shin'ra's Turks. His name is Reno. He's a very powerful man, and can make your life change in the snap of his fingers, and in several ways. No matter what, you must perform at your peak, and watch yourself. If something goes wrong, who knows where you'll end up." She drew closer to her friend's ear and lightly whispered, "But if it goes right, you can get out of here just like you dreamed. He can give you the world…"

Elena's eyes widened. She had a perceptible understanding of just what was riding on this night. With a sort of newfound confidence, she nodded and turned back to Reno.

He stood there casually, glancing at her, waiting patiently. His beautiful blue eyes were so heaven-sent… Elena's mind drifted. There was definitely something special about him – not Reno the Turk, but Reno the Person. Elena saw through his eyes into an amazing world of vivid, sharp color and intrigue.

He reached out for her hand and sent 120-volt electric shocks through her. His touch was powerful, full of confidence and sensuality. She was led into a dim room and so it began.

The experience was like nothing she had had so far. He started by placing sweet, lingering kisses along her neck and sighing. She couldn't think of anything to do but go along with is every move. Though many a time throughout the ordeal she found her mind wandering back to her sister and what she had learned in only a few minutes – more knowledge, really, than she had ever possessed.

Early morning hours began to sink in. The streets outside were still crowded with the seedy crowd. Elena checked the clock – 3 a.m. A sigh escaped her involuntarily.

"You seem impatient," Reno mumbled next to her. His head was turned away as he lay down, but his words and intention were clear. "Normally I'd ask if something's wrong, but I just don't care."

Elena frowned at his harsh tone. She chose at first to ignore it. How could he understand the mourning that came with death and disillusionment?

After another long silence, Reno rolled over to face her. His expression softened a little more with each tear that slid down Elena's cheek. "You're crying…" he observed.

She looked and him and wiped the tears away hastily. "Sorry," she muttered.

He looked away once more.

Another silence passed.

"What does it feel like to cry…?"

The girl was taken aback by the question. "I don't understand…"

He huffed impatiently. "Don't mock me."   
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely. "To cry is to…to…to release something you hold inside, I guess. Tears are like tiny drops of emotion that come pouring out when you need to show it to others."

He reached up towards her cheek and let one of the tears slip down his own skin. In the dim light from outside, Elena could see a flicker of propriety in his eyes. Her heart sank in his glance; he was so lost for some reason.

Reno whispered to her, "I've never cried before."

The tears spilled faster. "How could you not?"

"I was taught not to," he inscrutably explained.

"What inhuman creature could possibly do that?"

Reno muttered something else she couldn't hear. It sounded like a name. After a brief pause, he asked, "So why, exactly, are you crying?"

Should she tell him? It was a bit hard to explain… "When I was younger, my sister ran away from home – I loved my sister very much, she was an amazing person – and I never saw her again. But today I found out that she had worked here as a strumpet and murdered the day before she left."

Reno nodded. "That's a lot to take on," he guessed.

Elena was suddenly struck with a seemingly brilliant idea. She spoke hurriedly. "Reno, you hold a lot of power in your position. Please, help me find the man who killed my sister. I have to finish what she started."

He contemplated this. "What was it that she started?"

"She came here with dreams of getting a start in Shin'ra," Elena rushed on, "But she never got her chance. Please, I need the chance. I need to avenge what was taken from her."

He couldn't believe his ears. "Elena, I'm not sure that you understand the nature of my business," Reno replied hesitantly.

"It doesn't matter. I need something done."

"… … … You have a lot of guts asking for something like this from me," he informed.

She was becoming desperate. "Please," she beseeched, "Please, help me."

"And why should I?"

Elena burst out angrily. "Because for once in your life you should do something with a purpose, and maybe then you'll realize what it means to cry!" She beat her fists angrily against the mattress and sobbed, pained and full of distress.

He encircled an arm around her waist. "You know…you're right."

She looked up and a smile of triumph replaced her sullen expression.

He coughed and scratched his neck uncertainly, trying to devise a plan. "Meet me in front of the materia shop tomorrow night. Then I'll see what I can do."

He left without another word. Elena felt…well…enlightened. ****[BACK][1]

   [1]: http://stellarchiclet.iwarp.com/shinra.htm



	3. Part 3

Those torturous hours between their meetings had felt like a year more than a day. Elena, after Reno had left that morning, went immediately to Wiggly and told him she was taking the next day off.   
"Wait a minute," he snapped back, "where do you get off just leaving whenever you damn feel like it? You work here, this isn't some damn hotel that cater to you. You take off when we tell you ya can. And unless you have a good reason, it ain't gonna be tomorrow night!"   
Elena pushed her face daringly close to his. "I have reason enough," she stated elusively. "It's a personal reason, I really need to go."   
He wasn't in the mood for this. "Heady, keep in mind that you have a long line of customers coming in tomorrow - I don't think you realize how famous you've become."   
Something in Elena's mind froze for a moment. That was exactly the kind of "fame" Crystal had warned her about - the horrible, dirty kind that branded you a true whore. This feeling was all the more reason for her to get away from that place. "They can wait, this can't" said she in a lower tone.   
"Well what the hell is so damn important then?!"   
She spun wildly around and then back towards him with flares of fire in her eyes. "Ever wonder what happened to your girl Penny?"   
Wiggly nodded with a nasal, "Yeah."   
"Well I'm gonna find out," she spat, and marched out. 

Elena woke up from a deep, hazy sleep at around seven o'clock that evening. She found Crystal in the back room getting ready.   
Elena cheerily greeted, "Hey."   
When Crystal didn't respond, she looked up into the mirror to meet the hard stare. "What's wrong?"   
Crystal slammed her hair brush down. "I can't believe you, Elena."   
Elena rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm gonna disappoint all those customers, but this is more important than business-"   
Crystal spun and cut her off with a hard slap. "How could you be so stupid? This has nothing to do with this filthy bordello! This place is the whole reason you have to do what you're going to! Obviously you don't know me well enough. You're crazy to go. You're gonna get yourself killed!"   
Elena was so taken back by shock and surprise that she pitched forward and slammed Crystal against the dresser. "What are you talking about?!"   
Crystal pushed back just as hard. "I know what you're up to, Elena. And you're just going to get yourself in trouble."   
She denied it.   
"How stupid do you think I am?" Crystal screamed. "I know you're going to try and find Penelope's murderer, and I know you're enlisting the help of the Turks. Don't lie!"   
Elena lowered her head. "So what if I am? It's none of your business."   
"Like hell it's not," she shot back. "You're my friend. And I'm telling you, you're going to get hurt. The Turks are very dangerous people, you shouldn't get involved. One wrong move with them and you're dead. They have connections, horrible connections. It's no place for you."   
It didn't make any sense to Elena. "I'll be fine. I'll do anything it takes."   
"And so what if you do find them? Who's to say that they won't kill you too?"   
Elena thought for a moment. "I don't care. I want them dead. It's just a risk I'll have to take."   
Crystal put her stony expression on once more. "Fine," she muttered, "get yourself killed." 

The time came soon enough for the meeting. Elena pulled on a thick coat to protect her skin from the unseasonable chill in the air. She turned to say goodbye to Crystal, but was only met with a glare icier than the air settled outside. So, silently, Elena slipped through the guarded front doors and into the night.   
She ignored the endless cat calls and hurried upward toward the materia shop, concentrating on the mass of information swirling in her mind.   
Reno was already casually leaning against the shop's door frame when she arrived right on time.   
"Glad you're on time, Burch," he muttered, straightening up.   
She stopped short, perplexed. "How did you know my last name?"   
Reno uttered a guttural laugh. "I'm a Turk, I know everything about you. You're Elena Burch, 21, used to live on the upper plate with father, Alexander Burch, and sister, Penelope Burch. Both parents are now deceased. Your sister was killed as well. And your favorite color is blue. ...Actually, that last one was just a guess." He gave a joking smile. "So was I right about the color?"   
Elena had stopped paying attention. She had distracted herself examining his dark blue uniform suit.   
Reno shrugged when he saw she was in a daze, and started to force a small green ball - like a marble - into the handle of a long black stick.   
"What are you doing?" Elena inquired curiously.   
"I'm trying to get this piece of materia into my Nightstick," he grunted. "I'm assuming you know all about equipping materia."   
She shook her head no, but he couldn't see, and when he heard nothing, looked up into her blank expression. "Follow me," he commanded resolutely. He started back down, towards the market's limits into Sector 6.   
Elena's mind was giving her clear warning not to follow - the alarm's warned her that he might try to use some of that materia on her - but she put her bravest foot forward and strode on with what looked to the average observer like confidence. Then again, the faint, mysterious whispers instead of the raucous catcalls didn't ease any of the tension.   
They stopped at a spot just outside the broken wooden frame that marked the entrance to Wall Market. Elena could see only the edges of the neon-lit floor.   
"Now then," Reno was saying, holding out the small green marble, "this materia is 'lightning'. When you equip it on something, you can draw out its power and use it in different levels, depending on how powerful the piece is." Elena barely understood - she was realizing how sheltered she really was. He clicked the piece into place on his weapon and held it out. "Stand back," he warned. Every tense moment of his concentration was spent in silence. As quickly as it later vanished, a green light surrounded Reno, and a white-hot bolt sparked out of the end of his Nightstick. It left a scorching scar on the ground as the cracks and booms faded away into just a memory.   
Elena clapped uncertainly as he turned back to her. "That was amazing," she murmured.   
Reno gave her an unreadable look. "I figure from these past fifteen minutes you don't know the first thing about battle."   
She shook her head no.   
He nodded once more and pulled a gun from his inside pocket. Elena instantly leapt back as if it were a bomb, but he simply laughed at her fear and handed it to her. "That way," he said in a low voice, implying that he wanted her to shoot it.   
Elena was still confused about the entire ordeal, but pushed further forward. She pointed the gun at a random target in the deserted distance and, without much hesitation, pulled dramatically at the trigger...   
BANG!   
The bullet plowed forward, piercing the target right through the middle. Easier than I thought... she absently told herself.   
Reno was in a bit of shock. "That was amazing! Amazing!" he echoed.   
She nodded, just as surprised.   
"You're a natural, babe," he practically shouted. He encircled her and lifted her up, spinning her around in half-circled. She smiled, a bit ticklish where Reno's strong hands were gripping her sides. He put her down, not once loosening the grip he had on her. He looked down at her, a bit drunk with hidden fatigue and remnants of shock.   
She stared right back, ignited by his gaze. She felt like fainting, she was so intoxicated by his eyes. She did, indeed, fall backward, arching her neck as hot lips ran down her throat. Instinctively, she pulled herself down, the man on top of her.   
Surprisingly, Reno was the one to stop. He pulled her back up and said, "Let's go get something to drink."   
Elena adjusted back into her senses and followed him back into the crowds, up further to the large, bright bar sitting right near the front of the Don's mansion.   
Tonight the place was empty except for a staff of three, two additional patrons sitting at different tables on the far side of the room, and, of course, the somewhat suspicious pair.   
Reno ordered numerous rounds of shots immediately before turning to Elena to resume conversation. "So then, where so we start?" he asked, downing a shot.   
Elena sipped hers cautiously, eliciting a strange look from the bartender, in a deep process of thought. "I need to find the man who killed my sister."   
Reno nodded. "Tell me a bit about her."   
Elena muttered, "I thought you already knew everything you needed to know."   
Reno downed another and sighed. "All I know are cold, hard facts Elena. I mean what was she like." He stopped and listened attentively.   
Elena tried to explain. "She was always a sweet girl. Practical, but full of dreams. She had always wanted to work for Shin'ra, and I wanted to work with her. So that's why she left the upper plate."   
"You know, Shin'ra is pretty cut-throat," he said matter-of-factly, polishing off his third shot with a slight grimace. "Was she a very trusting person?"   
"I think so," Elena answered. "Everyone liked her, so she liked everyone."   
Reno twirled the empty glass between two fingers. "So we're looking at a male, between the ages of twenty-five and thirty, as a possible suspect. Probably someone who hates Shin'ra too. Although that's pretty much everyone."   
Elena's eyes got wide for a moment. "How do you know all that?"   
"It's just reason," he muttered. "She'd obviously be more receptive to a young male in her state of nature, because if she's trusting, she's also gullible, and acts on her emotions. Those would drive her, with her hormones, to a young guy. And that guy would obviously target her easily and with reason. He'd have to be pretty charismatic, too." Reno paused for a moment, letting it sink into Elena's mind. "I dare say, she sounds a lot like you, Elena."   
She blushed at the hidden compliment.   
"Have you met any suspicious guys since you came down here?" he prompted.   
Elena thought about it. Well, no one suspicious... She shook her head. "I really can't think of anyone, I wasn't on the streets long enough."   
Reno's face flickered with a bit of defeat for a moment, but then he sighed and stood up after gulping shots like they were candy. Elena's second had made her tipsy already, and her head felt a bit light.   
"I better get you outside, you need air," decided Reno. He held onto her arm and gently guided her out.   
They stood for a moment in the private darkness of the shadows. The air was still too cool for the liking, and Reno's warm, sweet breath was trailing across Elena's face and prickling her senses. As if sensing she wanted to be held closer to the warmth, Reno pulled her tightly to him and fused their mouths in a slow, deep kiss.   
Elena's head begged her for more, her mouth pressing forcefully against his. This time, however, she was the one to break away, knowing that she had to get back. It was nearly midnight, she couldn't believe it.   
"If you think of anything I should know," Reno had whispered to her, "call me right way." He handed her his PHS number. They parted ways then, but not without one last playful smile in her direction.   
"Oh, and Reno," she called after him. He turned around. "You were right about the blue." He gave a wide smile in return, and then disappeared. 

Chilly winds whipped Elena's yellow hair into her eyes and mouth - it was getting quite long. She trudged back to the Inn, mind drifting towards the memory of Reno's touch.   
Once back in the safety of the bordello, Elena dropped her things on her bed and sunk back into it as well. The sheets had been changed, thank g-d. And the hall outside was luckily silent. But the calm in the room did not assuage Elena; her heart was still beating as fast and as hard as it had been every moment spent with the fiery-haired fox.   
To no avail, she tried to sleep. But something was keeping her awake, as if she knew that someone wanted to tell her something.   
Quietly, she stood and crept out of her room, across the hall, and into Crystal's bed chamber. Crystal was laying on her side, apparently asleep, but her feet slightly rustled, telling Elena that she had just the same problem. "I wanna talk," Elena said in a low voice.   
Crystal replied hotly, "Well you don't seem to want to listen to what I have to say, so there's no point."   
Elena swallowed hard and defiantly took a step toward her friend. "I know you're angry that I went to meet with him..."   
Crystal laughed bitterly. "Elena, you have no clue who you're dealing with. Reno is a Turk; Turks are liars and murderers, and will never be anything else. But you can't see that. You can't see what they can do to other people, only what they can do for you. Do you have any idea how much they fucked up my life?"   
Elena cautiously shook her head.   
"Of course not," Crystal spat. "Elena, Reno killed my mother. My own mother, with his bare hands."   
The younger gasped. "Oh my..."   
Crystal's tears splashed down all around her. "She had been a benefactor of Shin'ra since the beginning. She thought she was doing the right thing for the right people. But when she found out about the Turks, she pulled out, not even telling them why, that she hated their company like Hell.   
"But then I started working there, because I had heard every praise my mother had for them. She never told me about the lies and deception. I was living my dream, and she didn't want to ruin it.   
"And then he came into my life. Reno, so sexy and charismatic all the time, such a charmer. We hit it off instantly. I fell so deeply in love with him - dangerously. But he was just using me to get to my mother. He got all the information he needed from me and then went in for the kill.   
"That night, he told me to meet him for dinner, but he never showed, so I went home. And when I got there, do you know what I saw? I saw my mother lying in her own blood - she had multiple stab wounds all over, and her neck had been snapped - and I saw Reno, standing over her. He was like stone. He waited for me to come to him, sobbing, and wiped away my tears, smearing my face with the blood from his hands. I was so confused, I asked, 'Why aren't you crying?' And you know how he answered me? He said, 'Turks don't cry,' and just walked out of my life." Crystal was hysterical in sobs now. "He knew I would never break my silence, because I was too blinded by love."   
"So why don't you just turn him in now?" Elena asked timidly.   
"Oh please, Elena," she mewled, "it's not that easy. He'd never let me. He'd kill me. He watched, every day, he knows. One wrong move, and you'd never hear of me again. He might have taken everything I had away - my family, my job, my home - but I would rather be alive, working in this disgusting gutter hole, than dead lying in it." She wiped furiously at her face and shoved Elena toward the door.   
Elena left without so much as a look back. Her mind was reeling even more than before. Maybe this was all a mistake; maybe Reno was just trying to get through her, and couldn't be trusted. 

The morning was unwelcome this particular day. A hazy sunlight, dim from the block it struggled around, and thick with smoke, was filtering in through the fancy windows. A rude knocking was also ringing through the room.   
"Get up, ya lazy bitch," Wiggly's voice screamed through the door.   
Elena furiously leaped out of bed and pulled it open before another bang could disrupt the peace. "What?" she cried.   
Her mouth was met with a smack. "Don't talk to me like that," he hissed. "And you have a meeting with the Don tonight."   
"Huh?"   
"Yeah, you, Crystal, and Candy, eh, what's-her-name, Rebecca."   
"What kind of meeting?"   
"Your evaluation!" he yelled, as if explaining addition to a kindergartner.   
"You never mentioned anything about an evaluation before," Elena informed.   
"Whatever. Don't argue. You're goin' to Don Corneo's mansion tonight and that's that. And hey, if you're really lucky, maybe the Don'll pick you for his bride!" He let out a mocking laugh and sauntered away.   
Elena leaned against the door frame for a moment. She wanted to go back to sleep, but since she was already up...   
She padded down the hall and into the powder room. Conveniently, Rebecca, a.k.a. "Candy", was already in there, powdering her nose.   
"Good morning," Elena half-heartedly greeted.   
Rebecca's laugh tinkled like a wind chime through the room. "I guess you heard about the evaluation tonight."   
Elena groaned. "I've slept with a lot of gross men, but this one takes the cake."   
"I find the power incredibly sexy," Rebecca disagreed.   
"What do we have to do anyway?" the blonde asked with a touch of morbid curiosity.   
Rebecca shrugged like it was nothing. "Give him some head, fuck him a few times... It's just so that he can make sure we're in top shape."   
"Yeah, I bet," Elena muttered.   
"Good luck tonight," Rebecca called as Elena was leaving the room. "Oh, and you might wanna practice."   
Practice? How could she do that? 

After she had finished "practicing", Elena sat up and started to dress in her best (and most whorish) outfit. She pulled her hair into an elegant bun. She layered her lipstick on thick, just like Alexander had taught her. One look in the mirror - and her painted face and exposed thighs - told her that she was ready...for >anything.   
Rebecca and Crystal had already gone ahead. Elena was running late; if she didn't hurry, she would miss the affair completely.   
The guard let her in without trouble, although gave her a suspicious look.   
The size and lavish decor amazed Elena. She marveled at the grand staircase, and red plush carpeting, and gold-encrusted moldings. But shaking herself once more, she hurried up the stairs.   
The massive double doors leading into the Don's chamber were shut, and a broad, odd-looking woman in a long robe stood guard. "I'm sorry, miss," she squeaked at Elena in an overly-high voice from behind a fan, "but you can't go in there. Please follow me." She started down the hall, toward a stone staircase on the left landing.   
Elena had no choice but to follow. They clopped down the uneven stone steps, loosing balance many times along the way, and finally landed at the bottom, in a dungeon. But the cold dim room was empty and untouched.   
The "woman" spun around, tossing the fan and shaking the robe and brown wig loose.   
Elena gasped at the sight, utterly shocked. "...Reno?"   
Reno smudged the makeup with the back of his hand, only causing it to smear into stripes on his cheek. "Yeah," he muttered.   
"What the hell are you doing here?" she cried out in a strangled whisper. She pulled out a tissue and started to rub.   
"I had to talk to you," he said simply, head jiggling.   
"You're crazy," she hissed, aware that the others were still here and not wanting to cause alarm. "What is so important that you'd disguise yourself in drag and interupt my job evaluation just to chat with me?"   
"I need to give you a case briefing," he replied.   
She gaped incredulously. "Now?"   
"Yeah," he muttered. "The longer you wait to hear it, the farther gone the killer is."   
Crystal's words suddenly rang in her ears at the word "killer". He apparantly wasn't one to talk, but she couldn't think about that now.   
He led her out a door behind the stairs, into a black room, and out another door. They were outside now, at the back of the building. The neon lights of the Market could be seen, and the boisterous voices heard. But Reno continued still farther away, into a dark dead-end alley. The noise was dampered, like a hand pressed on guitar strings, and the ceilingless cement tube was completely deserted.   
"Good, those damn kids aren't here tonight," Reno muttered.   
Elena looked around once more. Graffiti tagged the walls all the way up, as far as she could see. The crowning glory of it all seemed to be the shiny wire, thick and dangling against the wall. "What's that?" She pointed.   
"That's what we call the 'Shiny Golden Wire of Hope', cuz when you climb it, it takes you right up to the top plate. Right to Shin'ra Headquarters, actually," he scoffed. "If you ever need to get to me, just climb that wire and then I'm only a few feet away." He smiled a bit.   
The pair fell silent.   
"So what were you gonna tell me?" Elena piped up.   
Reno paced for a few moments, elongating the quiet suspense. "February 14, Valentine's Day, the busiest day of the year for the Honeybee Inn. Naturally, they needed the best girls on call every second. But one of them wasn't around. Her room was locked - she wasn't at the Inn. So they looked around Wall Market. Nothing, Nobody had seen her. So they searched the other sectors. She was nowhere in sight, so they just gave up and went back, figuring she was with a boyfriend. Well, she didn't show up for work the next day. They were suspicious, but they thought she might be sick, being taken care of by a friend, so they just carried on as normal. But finally, by the third day, they hadn't heard a thing and called the cops in. They banged down her door, and found her body there, hanging from the canopy of her bed, her wrists slit."   
Elena was horrified. Tears overflowed onto the harsh concrete beneath her.   
Reno pulled a few snapshots out of his pocket. "An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was loss of blood resulting from two severed arteries. It was closed as a double suicide, but I know those weren't self-inflicted wounds, they were done by someone else." He turned the photos over, revealing a pale forearm in each - her sister's own flesh - and two crooked red slashes running along the middles. "You can see this because the gashes were started at the top, near the elbow, and drawn down and inward. If it had been self-inflicted, it would've started from the wrist and been drawn up in a straight line curving into the elbow, not away from it. No suicide victim could've done this to themselves."   
Elena felt like she had stopped breathing. Her head felt light and dizzy.   
"Once that was cleared, they started questioning everyone around. But no one had seen anyone around her room all day. Which tells me that the guy probably did this in the black of night, and then snuck out the window into the empty Market. So really, the only thing we have to go on is my prediction." He finally stopped and lit a cigarette.   
Elena collapsed into sobs. She focused in and out of blackness.   
"Aw fuck," Reno mumbled, kneeling down beside her and taking her into his arms. "I hate to see a lady cry."   
Comfort suddenly washed her over there in his embrace. She didn't seem to care what Crystal had told her, because it seemed she knew someone completely different.   
He pulled her to her feet and led her back into the noise and chaos. "You better go home and rest," he advised, leaving her midway.   
Home, she laughed to herself.   
When she did reach the Honeybee Inn, she was not greeted with a warm bed, but instead with a cold and very angry Wiggly. "Where the fuck were you?" he screamed.   
Elena just brushed past him.   
"You're lucky the Don picked Rebecca," he mumbled as she walked past.   
Instead of going into her own room, she decided to go see Crystal - that one couldn't stay mad at her forever.   
Crystal seemed less angry, but nevertheless annoyed. Elena flopped on her bed and opened her mouth, staring upwards. All she saw was the blank white of the ceiling. "Crystal, how come you don't have a canopy?"   
Crystal's gaze flitted up to where Elena was staring. She shrugged and simply remarked, "None of us do, they've never bought new furniture. The only canopy is in your room."   
Elena instantly felt magnitudes of cold sickness grip her heart. 

She had blacked out, but her vision, a while later, refocused - much like when you find yourself awake in the middle of the night, staring into the darkest corner of your room, and you can't remember whether you had been awake all along with your mind blankly wandering or if you've just been pulled from a visionless sleep, and it's much too difficult to discern the two. Now Elena suddenly found herself standing in front of that shiny wire. Without thinking about what had happened before that moment, she began to climb.   
She rose higher and higher, and the plates scrolled in front of her eyes like movie credits. She could see the bottom of the HQ as she hopped across the debris.   
But once inside, she was presented with a problem. The rooming floors were a restricted zone, and she would need a key card.   
Well the lobby was deserted, and there was no one at the desk to help her. She sat sullenly in one of the lobby arm chairs and curled up into a ball.   
"Why so glum?" a voice asked next to her.   
She shifted her head, surprised that she had not noticed the man before. He was absolutely beautiful. Long raven hair hung sleekly down past his shoulders, and gentle dark eyes stared right into hers. She had to shake herself to keep from rudely staring. "I need to see someone, but I don't have a keycard for the rooming floors."   
The man smiled genuinely. "I was just going up there myself, I'll take you." He stood, rising to his full height and muscular build. He didn't even wait for a thank you before walking ahead towards the elevators. Elena followed politely.   
The man remained speechless as the elevator rose up some 60-plus floors. Elena didn't want to break the silence either; she felt as if she were looking at a gem through a beautiful crystal bubble, but if she blew on it, the bubble would pop and the gem would fall and shatter.   
The elevator let out a sharp chime and the doors slid open. Again, the man strode ahead, not waiting for a thank you, but giving her one more benevolent smile over his shoulder.   
Elena rushed down the hall, still unsure of where to find Reno, when she hit something solid and stumbled backward. Looking up, she was once again faced with those gorgeous brown eyes. "Sorry," she muttered, her cheeks burning pink.   
"No problem," he chuckled. "You look a bit lost."   
"Yeah, I can't find my friend's room."   
"Well who is your friend?"   
"His name's Reno."   
"Ah." The man nodded, giving her a curious look. He pointed to the door at the very end of the corridor, then sped in the opposite direction once more.   
A small teardrop of embarassment and frustration was dribbling down Elena's cheek when Reno opened the door for her.   
"Elena," he said low in surprise. He pulled her inside and closed the door. "What's wrong?"   
Her voice shuddered. "Reno, I need to know. Crystal told me the story of how you killed her mother. Is it true? Are you a murderer?"   
Reno took a deep breath and thought of the right response. "I'm not a murderer, I'm a Turk," he stated evasively, "and don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise." He sat down on his bed and rested his head in his hands. "You know, Elena, our only truth is what we know, we see, and we do. But in this world, there are others, who know better, see more, and do the impossible."   
Elena quaked at his words, was seeing behind the mask, revealing his truth. She wrapped her arms around his waste and let the tears she had been fighting to supress flow. "Hold me," she begged, sobbing into his chest.   
He did as she asked, pulling her close. 

Crystal's eyes darted around, making sure that no one saw her. What she was about to do was technically against the Inn's code of ethics, but she was under special orders - and hell, did whores have ethics anyway? So she slipped into Elena's bedroom, where the pretty blonde was peacefully asleep; she had gotten in late last night.   
Crystal smirked to herself. She had been out wih that murderer, probably screwin' him just to get ahead. It had been done before, but it never worked for Crystal. She had been stabbed in the back, and now her only hope was for the same to happen to Elena.   
That sick thought entertained her, a smile playing on her lips. In one swift move, she hooked the handcuffs around the bedpost and Elena's wrists.   
This caused the younger girl to stir. Elena opened her pretty eyes, glossy with tears, and gave a smile - one that quickly faded when she discovered she could barely move. She looked horrified in her vulnerable position. "What's going on?"   
"You're under house arrest for Inn violations," Crystal informed in her matter-of-fact voice.   
"Violations?" Elena's voice rose to the ceiling with a panicky tone. "What violations?"   
A glare preceeded, "You're such a fool, Elena. You're a silly girl. You think you're free here?" She laughed. "You obviously have more to learn than you led any of us to believe...So maybe we're the foolish ones."   
Elena couldn't fathom the situation. "What are you talking about?!"   
"You're to remain here for 24 hours as a toy. That should teach you how chained you are." With that, Crystal stormed back out. 

She could do nothing but sit there and watch the sun rise slowly and sink at the same speed.   
As night approached, and Crystal eagerly anticipated Elena's suffering throughout it, a certain red-head approached, unknowing of the situation he was about to face.   
"I'm here to see Elena," he told the receptionist.   
Crystal spun to face that familiar voice. Her eyes widened as far as they could go. They flared with anger and even fear. "Sorry, customers only."   
It was Reno's turn to face that recognized presence. "I really need to talk to her."   
She crossed her arms. "Tough."   
Reno laughed and shook his head. He inched closer to her until their faces were barely touching, and spoke in a voice no louder than the softest murmur. "Crystal, baby, are you still mad at me just because I happened to kill your mother?"   
She uncontrollably raised her fist, but he caught it and ducked under her arm, confidently striding to Elena's room.   
She had stopped struggling against her bonds long ago. But she still panicked about the thousand things that could be done to her while she was tied to the bed - it was a lot different.   
The door burst open, slamming against the wall, and banged shut again before Elena could even turn her head.   
Reno locked the door behind him and looked around the room. His eyes were drawn upward to the canopy frame. "Oh shit," he whispered to himself.   
Elena, too, tilted her head upward, having the same thoughts as Reno - this had been Penny's death bed. She shuddered, haunted.   
Reno shivered and diverted his attention to Elena. "I've got something really important to tell you, but not here."   
She sighed. "I can't leave again, I'll get fired."   
"Aw fuck, Elena, this is more important!"   
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. And how do you suppose I leave?"   
"You walk out the front door."   
"No..." She nodded her head to the cuffs.   
"Oh. That's easy." He sat next to her and leaned over her head, pulling out one of the bobbypins in her hair and clicking the locks open with it.   
Elena's arms fell to her sides and she rubbed her wrists gratefully. "Thanks."   
"I shoulda left you there," he murmured with a wink. "Now c'mon." He pulled her to the window next to them and lifted her over the sill.   
Outside, they snuck through a back alley right out of the sector.   
"I got a lead on the suspect," he told her when they were a good distance away from Wall Market.   
Her head snapped up. "Really? Who?"   
"A man named Trek Guissen. He was taken in for questioning after the murder last night of a woman in one of the upper sectors. They found her hung on her bedpost with her wrists slit. A neighbor said Guissen had been with her that night at a bar. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough evidence to convict him. But I dug up his file, and it turns out he was taken in for murder a year ago after another rich guy was found the same way in his bedroom; except Guissen paid off the chief investigator in that case and that charges were dropped.   
"Basically, Lane, we're lookin' at a serial killer here, one who kills the rich even though he has money himself. It doesn't make sense, but I have reason enough to believe that he could be after you too."   
Elena tried to process this as best she could. "So what does this guy look like anyway? I mean, who am I protecting myself against?"   
"That's the thing," he began uncertainly, "since the only witness saw the guy at night, the only detail we know is that he's thin with a medium build. That's why I want you to go to the weapons shop as soon as you get back to the Market and buy yourself some arms for protection. And trust no one. I just want you to stay safe." He tilted her chin up and kissed her.   
When their lips had parted and she opened her eyes, Reno was gone. Looking around, she noticed that they had come a long way out of the Market. She shivered in the air, cold and silvery from the piles of steel and metal scraps. The walk back was - in a word - frightening. Every shadow seemed to appear with no source, and every sound came from an indirect location.   
But soon enough, she was back in the neon warmth of the square, unharmed. As instructed, she walked straight to the weapons shop, keeping her head down to avoid the eyes of strangers. I wonder if he's watching me, her mind whispered.   
Suddenly a hard weight fell on her head. Oh g-d, I'm being bludgeoned! She screamed, expecting everything to go black. But when those uncertain moments passed and she opened her eyes once more, she found herself staring into another familiar, benevolent face. "Oh..." she murmured, eyes wide.   
"Elena, so nice to see you again," Alexander greeted, beaming down at her with a wide smile. "Are you okay?" You seem a little jumpy."   
She straightened up, her heart pounding with passing fear. "Heh, I'm fine."   
"So how's that job of yours going? Any developments?" He poked her stomach jokingly.   
"Ha ha, not there. Anyway, what are you doing here?"   
"Oh, just hanging around, meeting somebody soon. And you?" He looked over his shoulder at the bright sign that read "GUNS." "Seems like an odd place to find such a sweet girl like you."   
"Oh, I'm just getting something for someone else." Not a total lie - she felt very unlike herself at the moment.   
He nodded. "It was great to see you again. Perhaps we can see each other again soon? Like Monday night? You shouldn't be too busy."   
She considered for a moment. She was free, and she'd hate to be alone, especially now. And the way Alexander looked at her...   
"Alright," she concluded.   
"Great, see you at seven." A flash of smile, and he was disappearing into the waves of the crowd.   
Elena looked back to her destination, considering what she was about to do, and she purchased the gun and rushed back to the Inn as quickly as possible.   
"Where were you?" Crystal inquired the moment Elena had stepped through the door. "How did you get out? Wait, I already know." She glared with icy detest.   
"You can't do this to me. You couldn't have held me here, I had to go."   
Crystal noticed the bulge in Elena's tiny pocket. "So then what's that?"   
She huffed in response. "This is none of your concern."   
The door to her haunting room slammed firmly behind her and locked her in like a steel fortress.   
Elena wasted no time. She pulled out a box of nails, and set to work. 

Even the fiery color of his hair could not warm him tonight. Reno sat on the President's winding balcony, breathing in the fresh air after the meeting the Turks had just been through.   
Tseng had wandered outside to check on his young accomplice. "Anything wrong, Reno?" he asked knowingly.   
Reno nodded.   
"It's about the girl, isn't it?"   
He nodded once more. "I'm really worried about her. Guissen has every reason to go after her, and she's pretty easy to find. G-d, Tseng, if anything happened to her..." The words trailed off with the breeze.   
"Are you in love with her?"   
"That's the thing, man," Reno confided, "I don't know. I mean, I definitely care about her a lot... G-d she's so much like her sister."   
Tseng nodded in response, although he said nothing for a while. He just stared into the dark distance.   
"She's not like anyone I've ever met before, though," Reno continued. "She's so different. She's smart, and vibrant."   
"Is she Turk material?"   
"I dunno. But she's definitely someone Shin'ra would want."   
Tseng resolved, "Then let's just hope she has enough sense to save herself from this..." 

Finally, Elena had a morning to herself. The Market vibrated warmly, like a thick, comfortable blanket.   
The diner had a fruit vender set up right outside its door selling fresh fruits and vegetables from Kalm - and it was a rarity to find anything freshly grown in Midgar.   
She picked up a blood-red apple from the basket. It was the one with the most gleam and deepest color. So beautiful, yet so simple...   
A softness grazed her right ear, followed by a feathery nip and breathy words tickling her neck. "What are you up to?" Two strong arms encircled her.   
She smiled. "Just doing some grocery shopping, Reno." She put her arms back, encircling his neck.   
Reno smiled down upon her. "Alright, if that's all."   
"So what do you want?"   
"Do I have to have a reason to want to see you?" he asked with mock hurt.   
She shrugged. "No, but usually you're around because my life is in danger."   
He frowned. "Don't joke like that."   
"Ah, but not to worry," she was quick to reinsure, "I got the gun, just like you told me to."   
"Good. Can I see it?"   
She pulled him aside into the junk pile and pulled out the newly-crafted artillery.   
This didn't look like any ordinary gun. There were five nails arranged at the tip of the barrel for stabbing. The top part of the circle of metal surrounding the trigger had been sawed away, as well as part of the bottom of the handle.   
"This is great," Reno commented, awed.   
"Um, thanks. I just added some nails to stab with, and I sawed off the part around the trigger so that I could shoot it off whenever I need to, and I filed some of it down to make it lighter and eaier to handle."   
"Maybe we could use you in the Weapons Development department," he suggested.   
She shrugged. "So c'mon, what did you want to talk to me about?"   
"I just wanted to check up on you," said he in honest response. "Make sure you're safe."   
"I'm fine, Reno. But I appreciate it."   
"Look," he pressed, "I think you should lay low for a while.It's not safe outside of four solid walls."   
She huffed. "I can't live my life in fear all the time, I have to act with some normalcy!"   
"But it's not safe! Elena, this isn't a request, it's a demand - stay inside."   
This was incredulous. "Reno, what the hell? This is ridiculous!"   
"You don't know what kind of people could be after you!"   
"You're crazy!" She stormed away without another word.   
Reno sighed. "Elena, wait!" But she didn't stop - she just walked right out of his life. 

"Shot you down, eh?" said Tseng on a somber but somewhat amused note. "Sometimes you can be a real jackass, Reno."   
"Nuh-uh," he lamely replied. "I'm not an ass, am I, Rude?"   
Rude looked pensive for a moment. Then he grunted.   
"Was that a yes or a no, Rude?" He boiled in frustration.   
"That was a yes," Tseng confirmed. "You shouldn't be so pushy with women, Reno. They're delicate. Plus, they can push back twice as hard."   
"How would you know?" Reno blurted. "Come to think of it, I've never seen you with a woman."   
Tseng laughed, brushing the comment away carelessly. "I don't have time for that."   
Reno rolled his eyes - to him, there was always time for women.   
Especially when it comes to Elena...   
But hadn't she lost all respect for him? Did she have feelings for him? Did those die too?   
The night felt so much lonlier when it pushed those questions into him... 

Monday night rolled around with relative calm. The evening air was warm, the Market was buzzing, and Elena was still fine. She would push Reno out of her mind no matter what, even if she had to physically remove her brain.   
"You look dashing," said Alexander, commenting on the low-cut black number she was pulling off.   
"Why thank you, you're looking particularly handsome yourself." The two walked arm-in-arm out of the Market, strolling towards the Sector 7 train station.   
The evening had only begun the first time Elena stopped. "Aw, look at the adorable little playground." She childishly cavorted over to it.   
He followed, smiling. "Do you remember? This is where we first met."   
She propped herself up on the slide. "Yes, I remember."   
He leaned over and kissed her intimately.   
But something about his lips felt cold and stiff. Not the way Reno's kiss feels...   
Argh! She broke away and growled into her hands   
"What?"   
"Nothing." A smile was forced. "Are we going to Sector 7 now?"   
"Yes."   
They started toward it once more. Elena distractedly looked up. "What's that?"   
Her gaze was met. "That's the pillar that holds up the top of the Sector."   
"It's awfully high." She shivered at the thought.   
"And dangerous. If that ever came down everyone would be screwed. But forget about it, nothing's gonna happen. Hey, why don't we get a drink before dinner? There's this great bar over here called 'Seventh Heaven'."   
She nodded.   
The hot air inside the tiny tavern was stiffling.   
"What can I get you folks?" the cheerful barmaid asked.   
"Something cold," affirmed Alexander.   
"OK."   
"She's the owner," Alexander had mentioned to his date. "Her name's Tifa - sweet girl."   
"She seems like it," Elena nodded. She smiled at the chesty brunette as soon as their order was up. "Thanks." She gulped the shot greedily, unable to cool her flushed face.   
"Hey, no problem." Tifa's laugh was like a bell. "Anytime."   
The couple stood to leave.   
"Come back soon!" Tifa cheered after them.   
The cooler air outside was much welcomed. Yet the sudden chill drove Elena into Alexander's side, where a strong, protective arm completed the envelope of safety and contentment.   
"You're breathtaking," he whispered to her. She closed her eyes, her lids heavy. Haze fogged her head...   
"Elena!"   
The urgency of that voice seemed so far away... 

She awoke in a dreamy stuper. "What...what happened?"   
"You passed out," a voice sounded.   
She could barely open her eyes, but from what she could take in, she was in a dark, barren room, lying on something soft. "What's wrong with me?"   
"Physically, I think you just got light-headed. My poison powder can do that to people. But we have a more pressing issue at hand."   
She struggled, her arms aching above her head. "I can't move."   
"I know. Stay calm, that'll make this all much easier. Elena, do you know why you're bound?"   
She shook her head. "No, Alexander."   
"Ah, don't call me that. We can be informal now. Call me Guissen."   
Suddenly, Elena couldn't have been more alert, her eyes no wider. "What?"   
"My real name is Trek Guissen. And you, Elena Burch, are going to die at my hands."   
She gasped. "What are you saying?"   
"Can I not make this any more clear? I'm going to kill you. Although, I won't do it like I usually do. You have a right to know why. I'll be nice."   
Waves of nausea passed over her front. "You call that nice?"   
"Whatever. Do you want to know or not? Elena, you come from an aristocratic background, no? Your family was rich. You had enough money to keep you overly-secure for the rest of your life. And what do you do? You burn your house to the ground. Now honestly, why would you do such a thing? There are thousands of people in the slums who would've gladly taken it off your hands for you. But no, you decide to be selfish. But that's not all. What's more, you then go and try to take their jobs away? Tsk tsk. Honestly, Elena, you're exactly the kind of person we hate. You oppress us, and deny us. Elena, you know Crystal now...she has suffered at your family's hands too. Your sister took away her job, her salary, and forced her into the ghetto to become a whore and sell her body just to live. Now, was that fair?"   
She sat motionless, unresponsive.   
"I'm in love with Crystal. She's perfect and beautiful and honest. She's everything you're not. And she also knows what it's like to be kicked when we're down by those fucking rich bastards who think they own the world. Well, now we're kicking you back." His foot sailed into her stomach hard, knocking the wind out of her. "She suffered heatbreak and hardships," his voice escalated. "She's been through everything I have. That's what makes her so special to me. But you could never understand that. You have no one to love. You have no heart."   
The rage welled up until it burst. "You're the heartless one!" she choked out, starting to cry from the pain. He looked unconvinced. "You're the one who lies and decieves and hurts and kills! It was never easy growing up with a cold-hearted father and no mother."   
"Oh boo hoo. Poor little rich girl." He scowled.   
"And you killed my sister! The only person I truly loved, the only person I ever had!" she screamed daringly. "I am capable of loving. You're nothing but a coward. You don't love, you hide!" Her eyes bulged with every shriek.   
But he laughed. "It's funny, you are so very like your sister. You even have the same expression as she did when I slit her wrists."   
Elena coughed up acid. "You're sick. My sister was wonderful. She didn't so anything wrong. You had no reason to kill any of those people when you're rich yourself."   
"Well yeah, how do you think I got that money? Really, Elena, you should keep your mouth shut. I'd be careful if I were you."   
But caution was the furthest thing from her mind as she gave a swift, sharp kick to his jaw.   
He rubbed it gingerly and, with a hard glare and no noticable intent, left the room.   
Elena broke down sobbing. How was she going to get out of this one?   
"Do I always have to get you out of these situations?" Reno asked on cue. His voice was coming from a dark corner of the room. As he stepped out of the shadows, it was the first time in a while that Elena was genuinely glad to see him.   
The locks clicked out of place with ease, of course. Elena stretched her arms appreciatively. "Ah...thank you."   
He shrugged and turned away.   
"Where are you going?" she hissed.   
"Well, I figured this guy didn't cover his bases, I got in without him noticing, getting out should be just as easy."   
"Reno, wait up!" She grabbed his arm. "How did you know I was here?"   
"I was following you," he said matter-of-factly. "Did you think I was kidding about you staying inside? I knew you wouldn't listen. I had to watch you for you, didn't I? Now c'mon." He started striding out the door. "We have to get out of here."   
"What do you think you're doing?" Guissen called after them. "This party was invitation only, and I didn't invite you to leave."   
The pair turned.   
"Ah...but I like this arrangement better," Guissen murmured, smiling slowly. "I was going to come after you later, Reno, but now that you're both here, I can kill two birds with one stone." He laughed.   
Reno tried to punch, but his fist was caught and twisted painfully behind his back.   
"I got a Tu~rk, I got a Tu~rk," Guissen sang mockingly. "Behave now. Crystal, sedate them."   
A sharp pain spread through both their backs. Elena felt her knees give out and she sank mercifully to the floor.   
They were bound before either of them knew what was happening.   
The leering face of Crystal came into a blurry view. She was standing over Reno like a demon ready to kill.   
"Remember me?" she sneered, slapping him.   
"You have committed unforgivable atrocities against my love," Guissen informed the restrained Turk. He pulled Crystal protectively close to him.   
"Don't do this," Elena whispered.   
Crystal's glare shot at the other blonde like a bullet. "Don't do what? Kill you? Did either of you show any mercy when you took away my entire life?"   
Guissen spoke, "This is merely revenge on Reno and his pretty little bird. You're both despicable sinners. Hell's fires are rushing up to burn your souls." He grasped his gun holster.   
"Wait." Crystal stopped him. "I want to kill the girl myself." She roughly grabbed Elena by the hair, dragging her to a standing position. Elena was too weak to fight back, and she saw stars of pain.   
They moved at a slow pace, Elena stumbling along down the corridor.   
"You just have to learn, Elena. You're worthless."   
She was thrown to the floor at the end of the hallway.   
You have to fight...   
She aimlessly swung her fists upward in a last attempt to delay the inevitable.   
Crystal's jaw was caught hard. She rubbed it sorely - that was just enough distraction.   
Elena, with renewed strength and adrenaline, bolted through the door behind her, frenetically slamming it shut.   
She was faced with a steep flight of stairs leading up. She took them, two at a time, reaching the top and jumping off a short ledge onto a blacktop roof.   
She was caged in on four sides; ledges rose everywhere, hiding what was behind them, and "four solid walls" were no longer safe. She was surrounded by an army of shadows.   
Crystal was fast on her trail. "You can't escape, Elena, just like your sister couldn't, and just like I couldn't." A pained scream resounded through the darkness.   
Elena backed herself into a corner, one with a high ledge to swing herself over if need be. "Crystal, I thought you were my friend."   
She laughed bitterly. "Friend? Oh don't give me that. No, Elena, I'm your enemy. I am your merciless destroyer." She tackled with the ferocity of a tiger.   
Elena's knee pressed against her opponent's stomach, trying to hold her off. One hand held her at arm's length, the other dug at her hip.   
She felt something there, hard, bulky.   
It was a gun.   
This is your only chance...   
She swept the gun from underneath, blindly took aim, and fired.   
The body fell next to her lifelessly, one perfect bullethole through the neck.   
Hot blood seeped onto the ground, and into Elena's side. She was shocked, couldn't move, and was soon covered in it.   
She gasped a few moments later, remembering. "Reno!" Elena jumped to the top of the ledge by the door, down the stairs, burst into the hallway, trying her best to get back to him. Which room was it? She opened and closed doors as quickly as she could in her ferver.   
A gunshot signified that the room at the other end of the hall held the two men. Hot tears came from her eyes as she ran, fearing the worst.   
"You shouldn't mess with the Turks," Reno informed the dead body at his feet.   
Elena completely broke down when she saw him.   
"Why are you crying?"   
She threw herself into his arms and wept.   
He just stroked her hair lovingly. "Sh...it's all gonna be okay now..."   


~End of part 3~   



End file.
